Applebee's is Returning to Camarillo

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Applebees is open as of Monday, June 20th. Plenty of cars in the parking lot!

Original post 5/31/11: Same place as before in the Camarillo Town Center Shopping Center at 291 West Ventura Boulevard, Applebee's is staging a Camarillo comeback. As some of you may recall, all 4 Ventura County Applebee's locations closed in January 2009. While I didn't get a photo of the sign on my way to Souplantation, I can say that they had "We're Hiring" signs up and people on hand to conduct interviews. This was confirmed by the following posting to Ventura County craigslist:

Discover Applebee's Grand Opening Hiring Event!
-Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar in Camarillo is currently seeking experienced individuals to work in a fun fast-paced work environment for the following positions: Host, Server, Bartender, Carside Togo specialist, Food Expediter, Line Cook, Dishwasher/General Utility.
-Qualified Servers and Line Cooks should have at least one year of experience in a similar position in a casual dining restaurant.
-Professional appearance and attire required.
-For more information, visit our website: appleamerican.com
-Apply in person between the hours of 9am-5pm Monday-Friday at

Applebee's Camarillo
291 W. Ventura Blvd.
Camarillo, CA 93010

Simi Valley Marie Callender's Location Shuttered on Sunday, June 12th

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As reported by the L.A. Times and other news sources, Marie Callender's parent company filed for bankruptcy protection and has shut down 31 locations nationwide. This impacted the Simi Valley Marie Callender's location at 20 W. Cochran Street.  It did not impact the locations in Ventura and Camarillo.

It seems to me that as part of the bankruptcy reorganization plan, MC's should change its name. The name Callender's is so frustratingly difficult to spell correctly without looking at the name several times that it should be changed IMHO! :> Come on, for most of us, not just in school, but for our entire lives, we struggle to correctly spell the word "calendar" with an "a" at the end rather than an "e" (i.e. calender) but I still see this word misspelled ALL THE TIME!

So there's good ole' Marie Callender's, who not only spells it counter to our decades of schooling and corrections, with an "e," but then continues to confound our brains by adding an additional "l" to the name.

If nothing else, change the name to Marie Calendar's and make it easier for us to spell it without getting brain freeze.

Yah, yah, I know the place was founded in Long Beach in 1948 by people with the last name Callender. Don Callender named it after his mom, Marie. What a great son! But the chain was sold in 1986, so 25 years and a bankruptcy filing later, maybe it's time to reinvigorate the name. Whatever it takes to make it easier to spell.

That is all. Conejo Joe's brilliant idea of the day for a company in bankruptcy.

50th FREEBIRDS World Burrito Opens In Ventura on Wednesday, June 15th

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50th FREEBIRDS World Burrito Opens In Ventura

FREEBIRDS World Burrito, known for offering "way more choices" to custom-build rockin' burritos, salads, nachos, tacos and more, announced today that it will open its 50th location in Ventura Village at 5752 Telephone Rd. in Ventura on Wednesday, June 15, 2011.

For those who know FREEBIRDS from their time in Santa Barbara, California, they may be surprised on their visit to the new Ventura location.  As FREEBIRDS returns to its California roots it brings with it a fresh, new rock n roll attitude manifested by a much broader menu, a colorful interior and killer soundtrack. As The Grateful Dead said, "What a long, strange trip it's been."  

In order to get the Ventura location ready, FREEBIRDS and its charitable arm World Works will conduct the following pre-opening events that are open to the public:

Monday, June 13, 2011 : FREEBIRDS will partner with Food Share www.foodshare.com from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and again at 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  The first 250 guests during each time slot will enjoy complimentary food and drinks in exchange for a $5 donation to Food Share.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 : FREEBIRDS will partner with School on Wheels www.schoolonwheels.org from 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. The first 250 guests will enjoy complimentary food and drinks in exchange for a $5 donation to the organization, which enhances educational opportunities for homeless children from kindergarten through twelfth grade.  

FREEBIRDS is about awesome burritos and freedom of choice.   As guests join the queue, they are partnered with a team member, known as a "Roller," who helps them choose f

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Habitat for Humanity Cars for Homes Program Reaches $10 Million Milestone

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Habitat for Humanity International’s Cars for Homes program reaches $10 million milestone nationwide

Habitat for Humanity’s Cars for Homes program has distributed more than $10 million to Habitat affiliates nationwide. 

The Cars for Homes program began in the state of Washington in November 2003 as a pilot program. In 2005, it was approved as a national program of Habitat for Humanity International. The Cars for Homes program was created specifically to assist Habitat affiliates by generating funding from the sale of donated vehicles. Revenue is distributed to affiliates based on the zip code of the donor. 

“Since this program began, our affiliate has received more than $45,000 through Cars for Homes,” said Stacy Swanson, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County.  “Those dollars go directly to help us build more homes for families in need right here in our community.  This is a creative way for people to be generous and address a critical need in Ventura County.”

Cars for Homes is Habitat for Humanity’s national vehicle donation program that provides donors a quick and easy process for donating cars, trucks, boats, RVs and other vehicles

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Every Now and Then Theater Wins 2011 International Communicator Gold Award

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20TH YEAR RADIO DRAMA GETS GOLD WITH THIRD AWARD

Every Now and Then Theatre's 20th year anniversary radio drama, Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story, has won a 2011 International Communicator Gold Award for audio excellence. 

To highlight their 20th year, the troupe brought back the talents of previous celebrity hosts Tim Conway, Jamie Farr, Cheryl Ladd and Charlene Tilton to co-host.  The show aired several times in 2009 on both KVTA and KKZZ.  In 2010, the production won an International Davey Silver Award and an International OMNI Silver Award, both for radio entertainment.

According to Communicator Awards spokesperson Linda Day, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals.  Entries are judged and overseen by a Who's Who of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms.

"In the years we've produced the Dickens' classic, we've chosen to present it as the ghost story he intended it to be," said Producer and co-Director James Wortman from Ventura.  "Thi

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Lifeguards Return to Harbor Cove Beach in Ventura for the Summer

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Lifeguards Return to Harbor Cove Beach for the Summer

Beautiful views of the Ventura hills, small lapping waves, and windblown sand dunes are just a few things that attract local families to Harbor Cove Beach during hot summer days. Coined as one of the safest beaches in Ventura, locals often refer to this protected shoreline as, “Mother’s Beach.”

But two years ago, the future of lifeguard services at this hidden gem were in jeopardy due to budget changes. The safety of this beach cannot only be attributed to the breakwater that keeps it protected from high tides and large waves, without lifeguards, beachgoers at even the safest of beaches can be at risk. The Ventura Port District realized the importance of these services to the people of Ventura and visitors alike and negotiated a contract with the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation that would allow lifeguard services to remain intact at Harbor Cove Beach.

Oscar Peña, the General Manager of the Port District believes this is an important service for visitors and local residents to feel secure as they enjoy the summer season. Peña said, “The Board of Port Commissioners feels this is money well spent in our community.”

Lifeguard services will be offered now through September 5, Labor Day, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Ample showers and free parking are just a few perks of Harbor Cove Beach. Conveniently located next to the Ventura Harbor Village, spending the day at Harbor Cove Beach is a great way to relax in the sun and enjoy the laid back lifestyle of the Ventura Harbor.

Also located next to the Harbor Cove Beach is the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center with FREE daily admission from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. With a newly opened tidal pool exhibit located inside the visitor’s center and the recently released Channel Islands movie narrated by Kevin Costner, “A Treasure in the Sea” there is something for everyone.

And when lunchtime rolls around, the kid-friendly Harbor Cove Café is located right across the street and is a great place for breakfast, lunch, or an early dinner.

For more information about Harbor Cove Beach contact: Pat Hummer, Senior Harbor Patrol Officer for the Port District at 805-642-8618.

Off Leash Dog Park Pilot Program at Two Camarillo Parks Starts on June 13th

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The Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District Board of Directors recently approved an off-leash pilot program at two parks beginning Monday, June 13. A designated area of each park is available for off-leash use Monday - Friday from 6am - 9am and 5pm - 7pm.

 

Mission Oaks Park: See map for designated off-leash area

Springville Park: See map for designated off-leash area

Please be considerate of others and do not allow your dog to be off-leash outside the designated times and locations. This is a pilot program and off-leash hours will be in effect until September.

Looking for another location to exercise your pooch? Check out Camarillo Grove Park.

Message From the Department of Fish & Game: Please Don't Feed the Coyotes!

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The Department of Fish & Game (DFG) recently informed Oak Park residents that someone is placing food out for coyotes at the creek between Oak Park High School and Medea Creek Middle School. Doing so can cause coyotes to become curious and aggressive. Please be aware of this issue and use extra caution when in local trails never to approach coyotes.

Additional information from the DFG regarding using caution around coyotes:

If you’re in the outdoors anywhere in California this spring, you might cross paths with one of the state’s most common predators – the coyote. Clever, nimble and quick, the coyote may at first glance appear to be more of a nuisance than a direct threat. But don’t let your guard down, the DFG warns.

Coyotes – especially those who live in urban settings and have grown accustomed to humans – can become emboldened to the point where they become a public safety threat.

“Once coyotes become habituated to people, they begin to exhibit increased levels of aggression, which can lead to biting incidents,” explained Kevin Brennan, a DFG biologist who works out of Idyllwild (Riverside County). Brennan has responded to hundreds of coyote incidents and is familiar with the inevitably unhappy result when coyotes become accustomed to humans.

The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the dog family and is native to California

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